Farm 2 School Month

End of September through October has been an exciting time for re:TH!NK and Winnebago County Farm to School. Preparations have been in the works since the beginning of the school year to start off on the right foot. Already we have been on a public access television show, had a local radio station interview, and published articles in a youth magazine. While a lot has been happening, we especially want to highlight three large events within the county focused on different aspects of Farm to School: trying new fresh foods, connecting students to Wisconsin agriculture by promoting local farms, and learning to make healthy meals.

          The first event was a Local Tomato Tasting at Webster Stanley Middle School in Oshkosh School District. Check out our YouTube video about it:
                                                     TomatoTasting at Webster Stanley

          Next, we hosted Fall Fair at Maplewood Middle School in Menasha School District. We partnered with their amazing Chartwells food service team and Apple Blossom Lane Orchard from Black Creek, WI. Farmer Todd Hansen couldn’t have been more supportive throughout the process and donated some amazing decorations to make the school really feel like were at the orchard. We brought in corn stalks, hay bales, large paper leaves to decorate the walls, and tons of squash & gourds for the cafeteria. The event turned into a family affair as the Farmer Todd’s daughter, wife, and mother were all in attendance. They talked about the different apple varieties and helped pass out samples and stickers. That’s right, every student who tried at least one sample received an “I ate local food today!” sticker.

          At the event we had a savory and a sweet section. For the sweet we had four different varieties of apple slices (Empire, Cortland, Honey Gold, and Macintosh) along with an apple salad that consisted of diced apples and celery in a honey yogurt dressing. For the savory we “deconstructed” three bean salsa sampling four different platters of onion, beans, tomato, and bell pepper. We let the students try each ingredient individually and then all together as salsa. This provided a way for students try different fruits and vegetables and see how combinations of flavors work together. While some students were hesitant to try a fresh bell pepper slice, most every student had the salsa. A surprising amount of students came up to try the individual ingredients after they knew they were in the salsa. Making the fresh foods relatable to the kids really made them more willing to try new flavors. Some students really didn’t like the tomato but loved the raw onion; no two flavor palates are the same, it is important to offer a variety of options to help students find a tasty fresh food they really like. We were also able to send students home with a really simple and fun recipe cards to make applesauce at home, a classic snack that is widely accepted among kids.

“Wow, all this is for us?! I feel really special.”-8th grader at Menasha Middle

“I love beans, I have never had them plain before but now I could eat them everyday.”-7th grader at Menasha Middle 

          The last of our events was held on Food Day (October 24th), a nationwide celebration of healthy, affordable, and sustainable foods. We hosted a chef demo for the 6th grade class at Carl Traeger Middle School in Oshkosh School District. This event allowed us to reach out to our community supporters from the Culinary Arts Program at Fox Valley Technical College. There were approximately 200 youth and staff in attendance. Chef Jason Sargeant came in to teach the students how to make butternut squash soup and gave an informational lesson on different varieties of squash that are available. Cooking is an important part of healthy eating, visits from Fox Valley Technical College student chefs provide a fun way to demonstrate how to cook your own food.

“This soup tastes like pizza!” -6th grader at Carl Traeger   

         Coming up for the month of November we will be focusing on Nutrition Education as we have now identified the majority of students we will be working with in our county. We will also be continuing our Fun Food of the Month program. We can’t wait for the Harvest Medley Blends to come in!

e-cigarettes: A New Frontier for Big Tobacco Companies?

They are all over the media, celebrities are endorsing them, and yet without regulation from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) e-cigarettes have no standards to follow or comply with. The short version- Americans know little about the risks associated with using e-cigarettes.

The Huffington Post published an article in early September - 9 Terribly Disturbing Things About Electronic Cigarettes The article gives a list to readers simply stating what is known about e-cigarettes.

        Biggest points from the article:
• e-cigarettes contain toxic chemicals.  Specifically diethylene glycol, a chemical found in antifreeze.
• Kids across the U.S. are able to purchase these products because there is little regulation and they can be purchased online.
• Companies that produce e-cigarettes are creating them in delicious flavors like milkshake.
• Laws regarding advertisement of cigarettes do not yet apply to e-cigarettes... meaning youth are able to see ads on tv, online, and anywhere they may go.

With so much unknown in the realm of e-cigarettes it is best to play it safe and stay away from using. re:TH!NK also encourages you to do your own research and learn more about these products if you are interested, make sure to look at credible sources (example: www.iheartecigs.com might not be the best place to find and read unbiased information ;).

Learning from the Swazi People 3

Through my internship with re:TH!NK I have come to realize the importance of networking and partnerships. Working with others from the community to reach the same goals creates stronger programs. For this reason it is important to become familiar with different organizations within the community.

re:TH!NK and Growing Oshkosh partnered together for the pilot year of the School Garden Program. Due to the lack of green thumbs in re:TH!NK, Growing Oshkosh's knowledge with the gardens was crucial to making the School Garden Program as successful as possible. The gardens are currently producing an abundance of vegetables!

eatsmart! is another program that would not be as wide-reaching if not for local partners. ThedaCare and local health professionals have teamed together to work with participating restaurants. The mission of eatsmart! is to have healthy options be identified and available for those who want to eat healthy is a restaurant setting. The recipe of identified food has been evaluated by a registered dietitian and is marked with the eatsmart! thumbs up! Any interested restaurants can choose to participate. Currently there are 8 participating restaurants in the area!

It is my personal belief that no matter what the program, it is important to team up with others in community. Networking is an important part of working in Public Health. While in Swaziland, Give Hope, Fight Poverty met with different local organizations to find out what else was going on in the community. We didn't want to be competing for resources with others who were trying to accomplish the same things. One of the organizations focuses on the HIV pandemic, currently 40% of Swazi people are HIV positive, some of our orphans included. The organization sets up clinics for anti-retroviral treatment for those in the more rural areas. They also help to place HIV positive people in support groups. This information is good to know and we may use them as a resource in the future. For the time being we were able to to help them by donating some clothing! 

    Swaziland has some of the highest rates of HIV worldwide! This is a picture I took at the border crossing to help promote the use of condoms and safe sexual practice. 

Swaziland is the last absolute monarach and ruled by King Mswati III since 1986. King Mswati has 13 wives, each with her own palace.The royal family will sponsor different organizations. One of the organizations we met with is actually sponsored by one of the princesses. The mission of this organization is to focus and enhance female education. The details of this are still being worked out and the program will hopefully be launched soon. Again, knowledge is valuable and may be useful in the future.  

The beginning stages of the library Give Hope, Fight Poverty is buidling at one of the primary schools. Knowledge is the best tool to help the children!

It doesn't matter where you are in the world networking is important. Partners help to make projects more impactful. It is important to know and utilize the resources available. I am amazed at how much I have learned while interning for re:TH!NK. I loved the variety of opportunities I was able to experience! Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and my time with re:TH!NK is coming to a rapid close. I am definitely going to miss all the new friends I have come know! I am grateful for the great intership they provided for me.  

Learning from the Swazi People 2

Living in America I never truly appreciated the sanitation criteria establishments are required to meet. Living in a place where you don’t have to question how your meat was prepared, where the water in your cup came from, or if the dishes you are using are really clean it can become easy to forget that in some places these issues exist. Typically I am not a person who is concerned with germs…I often use the 5 seconds rule if I drop a piece of food on the floor. However, I have new found appreciation for the regulations we have set up.

I have recently returned from a trip to Swaziland. I was pleasantly surprised when I learned the water was safe to drink. Also, there was always a nearby KFC to grab a bite to eat. However, out of these city comforts and into the more rural areas where many of Give Hope, Fight Poverty’s orphans live these delights are no longer available.  

I realized the seriousness of sanitation as I helped some of the ladies prepare a meal for about 60 people. We chopped vegetables that we had washed in the same bucket of water-it was black with dirt when we were done. We cooked chicken underneath the hot sun in huge black cauldrons on open fires. While the vegetables waited to be placed in an available cauldron they sat in bowls under the shade of a tree for over an hour. The young boys kept us supplied with water as they wheel barrowed water to us in the field- I hoped that the water was from a pipe source that had been through the proper sanitation.

Soap is a scarcity but the ladies took every precaution available. We made sure all visible dirt was off the vegetables, we rinsed out the bowls before putting food in them, the young boys brought us water, and we scrubbed the table and scraped off the dried paper from the surface.

In the end we all ate the food and nobody became ill. In fact, the food was delicious and after all the preparation I took seconds! But I am thankful that we have the Sanitarians from the Health Department to make sure that we have rules in place for those who handle our food to follow. The last thing anyone would want to have to worry about would be wondering if the food and water they were eating was going to make them ill. I'm sure glad I don't have this worry. In fact, next week at EAA I can eat the pulled pork sandwhich with ease knowing our sanitatarians inspect the outdooor festivals in the area.

Learning from the Swazi People

I have recently returned from Swaziland where I worked with a very small but wonderful non profit:Give Hope, Fight Poverty . The mission statement of GHFP is to educate, empower and lift orphaned and vulnerable children out of poverty. In order to accomplish this goal Give Hope Fight Poverty currently sponsors 19 orphans to attend school, provides funds/supplies for a computer lab and library at a primary school, funds methods to obtain food security, and is currently building a primary school in a rural area where the closest school is 12 km away. 

During my trip I was able to spend a lot of time with some of the children that are sponsored by GHFP. We would go to their homes to play different games with the hope of making these children feel loved and special especially since they are all orphans. One way GHFP is obtaining food security is by having the children garden at home and at school. This was really awesome to see because one of my major projects with re:TH!NK has been school gardens. I never would have thought to look and see school gardens half way across the world as well. 

Both the Oshkosh school gardens and the pLangeni school gardens grow cabbage, lettuce, tomatoes, spinach, and carrots! In addition, the gardens in Swaziland have fruit trees. The kids in pLangeni work very hard on their gardens because for many in is the main source of food. Throughout my trip I was continuously surprised when the kids would eat beets, cabbage, spinach etc. with excitement. It struck me that if the kids in the US were exposed to these types of foods at an earlier age they may show some of the same excitement. I cannot wait to see how the kids in Winnebago County react to the different FUN FOOD OF THE MONTH this year!

                  This is one of the fruit trees at the school garden in pLangeni.

 

         These pictures are from Malindza when we cooked the children lunch!

 

Hey Parents: Summer's Here

School’s out for summer! We know the kids are stoked!  Summer means graduation parties, hanging out with friends, and a whole lot of free time.

As parents, we worry about what our teens are doing, kids being kids or high risk dangerous behavior like jumping into the pool from the roof  (teens perspective: awesome; might be on TOSH.0). For some, the teenage years, especially during the summer months, is the time for experimentation with drugs and alcohol. 

Adults know the consequences (risky sexual behavior, car accidents, fights and higher risk for suicide) and it seems like the dangers are more severe today than 20-30 years ago.  

The truth is the dangers are real and more severe. Heroin is available in the Fox Cities, Green Bay, Oshkosh and Fond du Lac, moving north from Milwaukee and Chicago. It is here and it is cheap. In Winnebago County, we’ve seen a dramatic rise in overdose deaths in the last 2 years related to prescription drugs and heroin. While law enforcement is doing everything they can about heroin use, education and prevention are the primary tools to effectively avoid addiction.

Prescription drug abuse is not only a national epidemic, but also a local problem with serious consequences. Often when teens use prescription drugs to get high they also combine it with other substances like alcohol. These combinations can be fatal. Additionally, experts in the field of substance abuse are finding that teens who try prescription drugs such as Oxycodone will be more apt to try heroin. Both are highly addictive opiates.

Marijuana is stronger today than it was in the 1970-1980s. Parents, be careful if you think it is not addictive or less dangerous than other drugs. It is a psychotropic drug that can permanently alter a teenage brain. A lot of kids don’t think marijuana is harmful, and many parents think it is not as harmful as other drugs out there. Educate yourself with the latest research and check your assumptions.

Alcohol remains highly available and more attractive than ever. Brands like Four Loko, Joose, and Blast are sweetened alcoholic beverages tailored to sweeter palettes of youth. These drinks have approximately 4 servings of alcohol in one 24 ounce can. They come in fruity flavors such as watermelon, kiwi strawberry and fruit punch. Teens are able to drink this like its juice or Kool-Aid, and can consume several cans before the effects of intoxication set in. Two 24 oz cans can be the equivalent of having 8 shots of alcohol!

As summer begins, consider strategies to prevent your kids from drinking or using drugs.

·         Toss out left over liquor bottles. Teens know what you use and what’s sitting around. They are much more likely to experiment with the liquor you are least likely to notice.

·         Use the DrugDrop boxes in Winnebago County to dispose of unused prescription medications to keep them out of the hands of your kids. DrugDrop Boxes are located at Police Departments in Oshkosh, Neenah, and the Town of Menasha.

·         A summer job is NOT a barrier to experimentation; in fact, it can be a gateway to risky behaviors when summer employment results in relationships between your teen and older, legal drinking-age co-workers. Talk to your teen about work relationships, new friends and your expectations of them while working this summer, including curfews and work hours.

·         Do not serve alcohol to your teenager or their friends. The idea that it is safer to have them drink at home is a myth. No amount of alcohol is safe for the developing teenage brain. Hosting a party where kids turn in their keys so they don’t drive is sending mixed messages that it is ok to drink as long as they don’t drive. It is illegal to serve alcohol to minors; adults know this and so do teens.

·         Transitions are difficult times. If your son/daughter is heading to college in the fall, talk to them about the dangers of alcohol and drugs. Many schools are trying to curb underage drinking, including strict consequences if a student is caught. Student aid could be eliminated if caught for underage drinking. Additionally, extracurricular activities usually have guidelines restricting underage drinking and drug testing.

·         Parents: Talk to your kids openly and honestly about the dangers of drinking and trying drugs. Educate yourself about drugs and alcohol including prescription drugs, and marijuana. Even if you used drugs and alcohol during your teen years don’t let that stop you from talking to your kids. Be honest and let them know how risky it was.  It is good parenting to talk to your kids about the dangers about underage drinking and drugs.

Resources

·         National Institute on Drug Abuse: (http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana)

·         SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration):  http://samhsa.gov/underagedrinking/

·          re:TH!NK Winnebago’s Healthy Living Partnership: http://www.rethinkwinnebago.org/Resources/for-parents.html

·         Partnership for Drugfree Americahttp://teenbrain.drugfree.org/science/index.html

Court Tower Apartments go Smoke-free!

The Court Tower apartments in Oshkosh are officially smoke-free and now have a month of clear air under their belt! Congrats Court Tower!

Many property management companies across the state are implementing smoke-free policies in their multi-family buildings. A smoke-free policy makes good business sense as it saves money on cleaning costs, reduces the risk of fires and provides a desired amenity to keep new and current tenants happy. These policies not only save money but help to ensure a safe, healthy environment for all residents by eliminating secondhand smoke. There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke and within multi-unit dwellings up to 60% of air is exchanged between units.

Smoke-free housing is about saving property managers money and hassle. It's about giving residents healthier, safer places to live. Seventy-two percent of Wisconsin residents who keep their units smoke-free (but live in buildings that allow smoking) would prefer a smoke-free building.

Clear Gains is Wisconsin’s smoke-free housing initiative and we're looking to help property owners voluntarily initiate smoke-free policies in their properties.

Are you an owner or resident of an apartment building and looking to make the switch? Learn more about the benefits of going smoke-free at http://wismokefreehousing.com for resources. If you need any information or if you have questions send them to acarpenter@co.winnebago.wi.us. 

A Valueable Experience

My internship with re:TH!NK has been educational, fun, and an overall rewarding experience.  Starting in January, I took on the role as the Active Schools Coordinator.  Through trying new things and having guidance from Emily and the Active Schools workgroup, I successfully planned and implemented the Active Recess, Active Classrooms, and Active Release projects.

The Active Recess project provided students with the opportunity to participate in activities led by community volunteers who have a passion for physical activity.  Connections and partnerships were made and our dedicated volunteers have been awesome!  It was rewarding to see the impact we can have on the children in our community.
The Active Classrooms project involved creating and distributing toolkits and binders for teachers to include in their class plans.  The binders contain “brain breaks” and activities for kids to participate in during class.  This increase in physical activity helps to improve memory and learning in kids and I was glad to help expand the project this spring.The Active Release program was a new recreational use agreement I helped to create with Emily, the YMCA, and Recreation Department.  We piloted the project at Tipler Middle School on their early release days.  We had a great turn out and will hopefully continue the project into the future!

I am glad I was part of the re:TH!NK team this semester.  The skills and professional development I have gained from it are irreplaceable.  As you all may or may not know I am finishing my “capstone” internship  near San Diego at EZIA Human Performance this  summer.  I am thankful for the opportunity I was provided here and will be using the things I have learned here in my future endeavors.  Thank you all for the help you have provided.  It has been fun and an awesome learning experience!

April Snow Showers Bring May…Flowers?

With winter sticking around longer than usual in Wisconsin it’s hard to see past the snow, rain, and ice.  On the sunny side, spring is around the corner, bringing an abundance of opportunities to be active outdoors.  Physical activity is an important aspect of being healthy and the next few months will be the ideal time to get out and enjoy some fresh air.

Exercise improves the body’s ability to be active throughout the lifespan by working the heart, lungs, and muscles.  Exercise is also a stress reliever, providing a sense of wellbeing and lifting your mood.  With the added benefit of sunshine and warmer temperatures, it’s time to head outside to continue a healthy lifestyle.  Take a walk or go hiking, start cleaning the yard, and begin preparing the garden for another season of fresh fruits and vegetables.  Being active outdoors will help improve overall health and wellbeing, so get some fresh air today and start enjoying the warmer temperatures that are finally on their way!

For more ideas and to learn about the added benefits of outdoor activities read this article:
http://www.steadyhealth.com/articles/Spring_Activities__Outdoor_Recreation_for_Children_and_Adults_a1292.html

Chronic Disease and Million Hearts™

FACT 1: The leading cause of death in the United States is heart disease followed by stroke, the fourth leading cause of death.
FACT 2: Chronic diseases such as heart disease and stroke can be prevented which is exactly what Million Hearts™ is promoting.  By 2017 this national initiative launched by the Department of Health and Human Services is striving to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes.
re:TH!NK your choices:  Effects of unhealthy lifestyle choices are evidenced by increasing disease rates in the United States.  The problem with unhealthy choices is that overtime continuous unhealthy choices add up and eventually lead to chronic diseases like heart disease and stroke.  re:TH!NK promotes opportunities to be active, eat smarter and lead drug free lives, however, the ultimate goal can sometimes be overlooked.  Healthy choices will lead to weight loss and decrease hypertension, cholesterol, and stress which are all risk factors for developing a chronic disease. Living with a chronic disease not only decreases an individual’s quality of life but also costs tons of money in health care costs.  Controlling risk factors through healthy lifestyle choices and creating healthier environments to make those choices are the key to chronic disease prevention—re:TH!NK’s ultimate goal. 

National Nutrition Month is Almost Here

As February is sliding into a halt, March brings new things to the table including National Nutrition Month®, a campaign for nutritional education and information.  National Nutrition Month® was created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to promote healthy, well informed food choices and active lifestyles.   This year’s campaign is inspiring individuals to “Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day”.

Approaching food choices in a healthy way is important for the body and mind.  Food provides the fuel energizing physical actions and thought processes occurring nonstop throughout daily activities.  As we move around our bodies are constantly undergoing processes to breakdown the foods we eat into useable energy to fuel our muscles and brains.

Eating healthy is something I find important but I also find value in the foods I like to eat.  Being aware of what you’re taking in is an important step to making healthier food choices.  To me, eating right “my way, everyday” means making sure what I choose is a balance of healthy carbohydrates, fats, and protein while moderating my intake of less healthy choices such as pizza and chocolate.  To compensate for the additional calories I consume, engaging in an active lifestyle allows me to enjoy the foods I like without restricting my choices.  I exercise daily including aerobic exercise such as walking uphill or biking but my true passion is weightlifting to keep my body strong. To me, living actively extends beyond gym time through taking the stairs, parking further away than usual, and taking stretching breaks throughout the day to relax the body and mind.

For each person eating healthy and living actively means different things and can be approached from many different angles.  I challenge you to think critically and determine what your thoughts are on “eating right, your way, every day” and then follow up with this link to get some tips and ideas for improving your healthy food choices: http://www.eatright.org/nnm/handoutsandtipsheets/ 

Goal Setting for Success

Hello everyone, I am Brittany, a Kinesiology student at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh currently interning with re:TH!NK.  You will be seeing bi-weekly blogging updates from me for the next few months while I continue on through my journey here at the Winnebago County Public Health Department! 

Where are you with your new year’s resolution?  We all create personal goals of eating healthier, making more trips to the gym, or losing those last 10 pounds.  Maybe your plan of eating more fruits and vegetables and taking the stairs more often didn't happen how you envisioned it.  Regardless of the outcome, the intention behind these goals is the pursuit of happiness and having a healthier, stronger body to carry you into the future beyond the year of 2013.

How can you stay on track to actually achieve your resolution?  Does it feel like you somehow get sidetracked the moment you think about changing your lifestyle? To have success when trying to achieve a goal, Livestrong.com states, you must have a clear idea of what your objective is, create realistic goals, track your progress, and re-evaluate how you are doing. 

To successfully achieve your resolution the focus should be on setting SMART goals.  SMART goals are: specific, measureable, achievable, realistic, and time based.  Make sure your goals are clear and that you can measure them.  Setting goals that are realistic with a deadline will make them achievable.  You can do this by setting one or more short term goals amounting to a long term goal.  Write it out in a journal or notebook and reflect on how great it felt to participate in a group fitness class or the amount of energy you have from eating healthier.  Writing down your goals and then reflecting on them will assist you to achieve your new year’s resolution by creating long lasting lifestyle behavior changes!

Want to read more? Check out these articles:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/313537-goal-setting-list/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/147793-behavior-changes-goal-setting/ 

National Drug Facts Week

Shatter the Myths Now!

This week is National Drug Facts Week (January 28-February 3, 2012). Launched in 2010 by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to help teens dispel the myths they get from media sources, National Drug Facts Week looks to present what scientists have learned about drug abuse and addiction.

Teens are bombarded with conflicting information that may leave them confused about where to go for accurate information about drug abuse.  In the past year alone, 7.4% of teens reported abuse of prescription drugs and in just the past month, 22.6% of 12^th graders report using marijuana. It’s important to get teens the facts now!

There are so many ways you can participate and help NIDA “shatter the myths” about drug use for teens. First, visit the National Drug Facts Week website, where you will find videos, fact sheets, links and other tools to help teach and educate. Take the National Drug IQ Challenge, and find out how much you know about drugs and drug addiction. Be a social media partner and get the word out. Click here for Facebook statuses, tweets and pins to promote National Drug Fact Week via social media sources.  Finally, you can share the link to this blog post with friends. These are ways that everyone can easily get involved.

re:TH!NK Winnebago has additional resource links, which you can access by clicking here.   Educate yourself about drug abuse today and you can help shatter the myths!

Contributed by guest blogger Kim Hageman

http://www.survivingoshkosh.com

http://www.facebook.com/SurvivingOshkosh